KARACHI:
Many people falsely believe that education can only be acquired in a progressive urban setting. They therefore fail to achieve any education at all. The village of Rasoolpur located in the Rajanpur district of Punjab proves these claims wrong. The literacy rate in the village is almost 100% with zero crime rate. The village is populated by approximately 3,000 residents, majority of whom are ethnic Ahmadani Baloch.
All residents are supposed to finish secondary schooling otherwise they cannot live in the village, which has compelled women to study as well. Residents who cannot afford education are provided donations via the Rasoolpur Development Society. At present, the village has one primary school and two secondary schools. After finishing secondary school, most students go to college in the nearby town of Jampur. Despite having a small number of schools, the village has proved to be exemplary for the entire world. It is not just the literacy rate that is praiseworthy but also the good discipline amongst the residents — not a single criminal case has been registered in the last few decades. This shows the impact an educated environment can have on the well-being of the people as well as the society.
Rasoolpur is seldom discussed in the mainstream media, which is why many have remained unaware of the village and its accomplishments. There needs to be more attention towards the village in order to inform people of the benefits of education. Rasoolpur must be used as an example to initiate educational reforms in other rural areas of Pakistan.
Ali Sher
Hub
Published in The Express Tribune, October 22nd, 2021.
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